Historical Studies Disability as Authority in the Early Modern Period The Institute Letter, Spring/Summer 2026 In a book titled Crip Authority: Disability and the Art of Consolation in the Renaissance, written during her time at IAS, Elizabeth B. Bearden, Felix Gilbert Member (2022–23) in the School of Historical Studies, shows how disabled authors resisted ableism with the help of an ancient, respected literary genre: consolation. Read More